Password-protected posts contain heavy spoilers and are there to prevent accidental spoiling. They can each individually be accessed with the password "SPOILME(#of the post)". That means if the post is numbered #0000, the password is SPOILME0000 - SPOILME all in caps, no space in between.
Enter at your own risk. And have fun!
Nina Redmond is a literary matchmaker. Pairing a reader with that perfect book is her passion… and also her job. Or at least it was. Until yesterday, she was a librarian in the hectic city. But now the job she loved is no more.
Determined to make a new life for herself, Nina moves to a sleepy village many miles away. There she buys a van and transforms it into a bookmobile—a mobile bookshop that she drives from neighborhood to neighborhood, changing one life after another with the power of storytelling.
From helping her grumpy landlord deliver a lamb, to sharing picnics with a charming train conductor who serenades her with poetry, Nina discovers there’s plenty of adventure, magic, and soul in a place that’s beginning to feel like home… a place where she just might be able to write her own happy ending.
It’s a bookish book, it was available, and I was in between books.
The Quotes
“Just do something. You might make a mistake, then you can fix it. But if you do nothing, you can’t fix anything. And your life might turn out full of regrets.”
“Because every day with a book is slightly better than one without, and I wish you nothing but the happiest of days.”
“There was a universe inside every human being every bit as big as the universe outside them.”
The Narrator
Lucy Price-Lewis. I really liked her as a narrator. I did have trouble understanding the accents, but that’s mostly on me.
My Thoughts
I enjoyed it very much at first, even though it’s just a little bit cheesy. But I started to get really annoyed with Nina (and other characters) at the second half of the book.
Spoiler
I really didn’t like that she was so forgiving towards Marek after finding out he had a romantic partner who’s the mother of his child. I also don’t like that Marek is somehow still portrayed as a sympathetic character. Nina can be naive, but I think this is a little over-the-top. The fact that she continued talking to him even after that, I just don’t like it.
I also really didn’t like the way she handled that whole thing with the two siblings and their sick mother. That whole scene with Ainslee being unhappy about Nina getting involved, and then all of a sudden being okay with it didn’t ring true to me. And her sick mother’s interactions with Nina also felt weird and unrealistic.
And there was the part where Lennox had a sick animal he was rushing to get to the vet, but then he came back to drive Nina home first, I was in disbelief.
I could’ve overlooked one or two issues, but there were too many and I couldn’t enjoy the book anymore. I’m sorry I don’t have more to say about the book that isn’t spoilered. I guess I don’t really have a lot of nice things to say, and that makes me feel really bad, but it is what it is!
My Rating
3/5 stars. Because I don’t think it’s badly written. I just didn’t like the story or the characters.
Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?
Erica Bauermeister, the national bestselling author of The School of Essential Ingredients, presents a moving and evocative coming-of-age novel about childhood stories, families lost and found, and how a fragrance conjures memories capable of shaping the course of our lives.
Emmeline lives an enchanted childhood on a remote island with her father, who teaches her about the natural world through her senses. What he won’t explain are the mysterious scents stored in the drawers that line the walls of their cabin, or the origin of the machine that creates them. As Emmeline grows, however, so too does her curiosity, until one day the unforeseen happens, and Emmeline is vaulted out into the real world—a place of love, betrayal, ambition, and revenge. To understand her past, Emmeline must unlock the clues to her identity, a quest that challenges the limits of her heart and imagination.
Lyrical and immersive, The Scent Keeper explores the provocative beauty of scent, the way it can reveal hidden truths, lead us to the person we seek, and even help us find our way back home.
I came across this book while browsing my library’s audiobook catalog and it fit one of the prompts from the 2024 52 Book Club Challenge, so I decided to give it a try.
The Quotes
“It’s amazing how easily we can cast ourselves in the role of hero.”
“We are the unwitting carriers of our parents’ secrets, the ripples made by stones we never saw thrown.”
“Everyone else thought it was magic, but I knew better. In the end, it wasn’t the flavors or the alcohol that made people relax—it was the experience of being seen and understood.”
“I think one of the most fascinating things about perfumes is how they change with each person’s skin chemistry. I’ve always thought of them as verbs, not nouns. Truth, I’ve found, is much the same.”
The Characters
The story follows Emmeline from childhood until young adulthood, so we see her development as a person and as a character. I must admit that I really didn’t like her as a child. I felt like she made a lot of rash and reckless decisions, and even though she was a child, she was old enough to understand the consequences of her actions. She was better as a young adult, but obviously still had a long way to grow.
I don’t think I loved any of the characters in the book, except maybe the goat and the dog. I liked some of them, but there were no standouts. I find it interesting because I’m a character-driven reader, and it’s hard for me to like a book if I don’t like the characters, but I do also enjoy complicated characters, as long as they are real and interesting, and I think Emmeline was real and interesting.
My Thoughts
The most fascinating parts of the book for me were the scents and everything to do with them. The description of Emmeline’s father’s machine, and all the bottles of scents, the different scents Emmeline paid attention to, the ways to use scents, how Emmeline learned to work with scents. Some of these things we learn about are obviously pure fiction, and there were a few things I know to be true in real life about the science of scents, but there were many that I had no idea of their veracity. Still fascinating in the context of the story, and I loved reading about them.
My Feels
My favorite parts of the book were when Emmeline bonded with the goat and the dog. Those scenes were just so wholesome and beautiful. They don’t actually play very prominent parts, but out of all the relationships Emmeline had in the story, it was her relationships with the goat and dog that made me feel the most.
My Rating
4/5 stars. It’s really good and I liked it, but I don’t love it. I’m giving points for the beautiful writing and execution though.
Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?
After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.
The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.
If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won’t be able to go it alone.
But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.
Everyone keeps saying how great it is! I do sometimes get apprehensive about a book that might potentially be overhyped because I don’t want to end up disappointed, but I felt certain that I would like this one somehow.
The Quotes
“Things don’t have to stay as what they started out as.”
“His eyes widened. “Well, shit. Milky bean water. I’ll be damned.” He took another, longer sip and burned his tongue.”
“I was just thinking that you don’t have to forget who you were … because that’s what brought you here.”
“You’ve found a very peaceful place here. A special place. You’ve planted something, and now its blossoming. Very nice. A good spot to rest. My thanks to you for letting an old-timer shade under the branches of what you’ve grown.”
The Characters
Viv is the main character in this book, but every single character in this book is what makes the book! It’s the perfect ensemble cast; there are the core important characters to Viv, and to her cafe, and there are the supporting characters who are just so vibrant and unique in each of their own ways. Every single one of them were brought so vividly to life. I love them all!
My Thoughts
I loved the story from beginning to end! For a high fantasy novel that focuses on building a cafe business rather than embarking on a perilous quest to kill dragons, it’s surprisingly engrossing! I guess it makes sense, whether you’re killing dragons or serving coffee, the interesting parts of a story is in how you solve the problems, and with Legends & Lattes, it was wonderful watching Viv and her friends navigate the issues surrounding the running of a cafe.
My Feels
I don’t even know where to begin to talk about my feels. First of all, we all know I love found family stories. And I loved it here too, so much! It was so heartwarming to see how Viv made friends, the kind of person she was, the kind of people she drew to herself – because of the person she was. I loved how some enemies became friends. I loved how she protected her friends and her friends protected her. I loved the development of all the friendships she made since moving to Thune, not even a few months in a new place. I loved everything about it, and my only wish is that there was more!
I know there’s another book out, a prequel, and you can bet I’m going to read it too, but seriously, there needs to be a whole bunch of books in this series. I need more of them!
My Rating
5/5 stars. I love it, and it’s going into my Favorite Books of All Time Hall of Fame!
Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?
Doomed to—or blessed with—eternal life after drinking from a magic spring, the Tuck family wanders about trying to live as inconspicuously and comfortably as they can. When ten-year-old Winnie Foster stumbles on their secret, the Tucks take her home and explain why living forever at one age is less a blessing that it might seem. Complications arise when Winnie is followed by a stranger who wants to market the spring water for a fortune.
This is one of those books I’d heard about but never read, and it was immediately available on my library’s catalog and only four hours on audio, so I thought, why not?
The Quotes
“Don’t be afraid of death; be afraid of an unlived life. You don’t have to live forever, you just have to live.”
“The way I see it,” Miles went on, “it’s no good hiding yourself away, like Pa and lots of other people. And it’s no good just thinking of your own pleasure, either. People got to do something useful if they’re going to take up space in the world.”
“But dying’s part of the wheel, right there next to being born. You can’t pick out the pieces you like and leave the rest. Being part of the whole thing, that’s the blessing.”
“You really have to love words if you’re going to be a writer, because as a writer, you certainly spend a lot of time with words.”
The Narrator
Peter Thomas. Everything was just perfect, I have no complaints!
My Thoughts
Look, I’m just going to ignore the whole kidnapping thing, Stockholm Syndrome thing, possible grooming of a 12-year-old girl by a 17-year-old boy, or a 104-year-old man, depending how you see it. I’m taking it at face value, and it’s such a sweet story. Bittersweet. Scary too, if the bad guy had gotten his way.
Personally, if there was a spring that could grant me immortality, I would go for it. I might regret it because there’d be no way out if I wanted to die, but if so, then I’d spend my life looking for a way to die, and then I’d have a purpose to live! Ironic. But seriously, I love the idea of living forever and staying the same age. Of course, I’d prefer to become immortal when I was younger, but heck, I’d take it at this age. I’m not completely decrepit yet!
I do understand the thought processes that Tuck and his family has about their immortality though. It would be hard to never be able to stay in one place long, to never be able to have lifelong friends, to never be able to progress in life, get married and have kids, and grow old with them. I know that I would only take immortality if my husband lived forever with me. I would never choose it if he couldn’t come with me. I did feel like Miles could’ve tried again, but that’s a moot point by the end of the story.
My Feels
It’s a sad and lonely existence, the way the Tucks lived. They could’ve done much more with the gift, or the curse, they had. I loved what Miles said, about being useful if you’re going to take up space in the world. They may or may not like being immortal, but if you’re there, you may as well do something good with it.
Spoiler
I was also sad that by the time they came back, Winnie had grown old and died. It’s sad to me that she never got to see them again. And I’m not exactly sure what happened to the spring, but it’s implied that it’s no longer there. I feel like the Tucks could’ve shared it with trusted friends and loved ones over the years, so that they wouldn’t be so alone, and I’m sure some people would love to have that opportunity as well. But if the spring is gone, then that chance is lost forever.
My Rating
4/5 stars. It gives me a lot to think about.
Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?
A novel about a mother’s unbreakable love in a world consumed by fear.
Twelve-year-old Bird Gardner lives a quiet existence with his loving but broken father, a former linguist who now shelves books in a university library. Bird knows to not ask too many questions, stand out too much, or stray too far. For a decade, their lives have been governed by laws written to preserve “American culture” in the wake of years of economic instability and violence. To keep the peace and restore prosperity, the authorities are now allowed to relocate children of dissidents, especially those of Asian origin, and libraries have been forced to remove books seen as unpatriotic—including the work of Bird’s mother, Margaret, a Chinese American poet who left the family when he was nine years old.
Bird has grown up disavowing his mother and her poems; he doesn’t know her work or what happened to her, and he knows he shouldn’t wonder. But when he receives a mysterious letter containing only a cryptic drawing, he is pulled into a quest to find her. His journey will take him back to the many folktales she poured into his head as a child, through the ranks of an underground network of librarians, into the lives of the children who have been taken, and finally to New York City, where a new act of defiance may be the beginning of much-needed change.
It was immediately available when I browsed for audiobooks, and I was really intrigued by the premise. I haven’t read Little Fires Everywhere, but it’s also on my TBR, and I thought I might as well try the author’s other books. It also helps that it’s both a diversity book and a bookish book, for my reading challenges.
The Quotes
“Why did I tell you so many stories? Because I wanted the world to make sense to you. I wanted to make sense of the world, for you. I wanted the world to make sense.”
“If we fear something, it is all the more imperative we study it thoroughly.”
“Who ever thinks, recalling the face of the one they loved who is gone: yes, I looked at you enough, I loved you enough, we had enough time, any of this was enough?”
“Librarians, of all people, understood the value of knowing, even if that information could not yet be used.”
The Narrator
Lucy Liu. I don’t know if it’s the way the story was written, but her reading seems so block-y. Like she’s reading in blocks. It’s not a big deal, I still enjoyed the story, it was just the lack of change in cadence and it felt weird.
The Characters
Bird is the main character and we see most of the story from his POV, but his mother’s POV is the one that really punches me in the gut.
His mother, Margaret, is Chinese American, and as the story progresses, you can see how she lays low, think that all the initial abuse of Asian Americans don’t apply to her, because she isn’t like them, she isn’t a troublemaker, she hasn’t done anything wrong. She ignores what’s happening, tries to distance herself from the blatant racism, and has a general attitude of “as-long-as-it’s-not-me”. Until it is.
My Thoughts
I thought this book was very well-written, well-researched, well-told. It is so fascinating, but also painful, to see the progression of how things got as bad as they did. This book hits really close to home because, let’s be real, it has happened in real life. It could still happen.
For me, the biggest thing on my mind is how Margaret’s initial inaction, denial, and distancing, is so cowardly, but so completely understandable. I’m not a hero, I don’t think I’ll be brave enough to ever be the first to stand against oppression, especially when the result of it could be death, persecution, or having my loved ones taken away. This book really makes me think, what would I do if it were me? Being honest, I guess I’d run and hide. That would be my first instinct. But if backed into a corner and having no other choice, I guess I’d fight. But then it might be too late.
The lesson it has always been is that, if you stand by and do nothing while others are being oppressed, you are standing with the oppressors. I am reminded by this quote:
First they came for the Communists And I did not speak out Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists And I did not speak out Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists And I did not speak out Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews And I did not speak out Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me And there was no one left To speak out for me
I also want to note that once again, in times of oppression, we see the power of books, libraries, librarians, knowledge being passed around, and stories being told. Stories are powerful, and I believe stories are the secrets to peace. If everyone read books, listened to stories, they would learn to be more empathic and be less inclined to hurt others. I truly believe that.
My Feels
It’s chilling and scary because it could happen. And I honestly don’t know what I would do. It’s one thing to know rationally what to do, it’s another to do the right thing when you are caught up in feeling the fear. This story scares me.
It also breaks my heart to see the evil that exists in this world, and yet there is also the amazing resilience and courage of the human spirit. This book is going to stay in my mind for a while.
My Rating
5/5 stars. It’s such a painful but powerful story. I highly recommend it to everybody!
Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?
I wasn’t planning to read all of them initially. I had only just downloaded two of them – The Exception to the Rule, and With Any Luck – (they are free with Amazon Prime!) on Kindle, but I finished them both very quickly and then I wanted more, so I downloaded the rest, and finished them all too!
So here are my general thoughts; are they cute? Yes! Are they cheesy? Also yes! But are they a lot of fun? Hell yes!
Some are cheesier than others, and also totally unrealistic, and I would probably not like a couple of them if they were full-length romances. But as they are, in this format, I had so much fun reading them all! I love that they were all connected to each other in some small way, and I love how they each tied in with Valentine’s Day.
My Feels
Book 1 – The Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren This one was my favorite of them all. I loved that it spanned years and that it wasn’t insta-love. Conversation and correspondence are also my weaknesses, I just cannot resist love that blossoms through love letters – or the modern equivalent to love letters. I also loved how they finally meet! It’s just wonderful from start to finish. 5/5 stars.
Book 2 – Worst Wingman Ever by Abby Jimenez This is my next favorite, and can you blame me when you realize it’s also got that love letter element? Notes on the windshield, back-and-forth correspondence, falling in love through notes before ever meeting each other. It’s just so sweet, and of course, improbable, but that’s the name of the series, so there. 4/5 stars.
Book 3 – Rosie and the Dreamboat by Sally Thorne So here they also get to know each other before they see each other, but it’s not through love letters. It’s through voice. Rosie is stuck in the isolation tank, and the fireman needs to get her out. I think my enjoyment of this love story is tempered with my fear of being stuck in enclosed spaces. I loved that they connected, but I was too focused on Rosie being stuck. 3/5 stars.
Book 4 – Drop, Cover, and Hold On by Jasmine Guillory I was very confused with the male MC’s facial expressions being all over the place, but I love the sentiment, and I love a baker. The way to my heart is through my stomach, and any man who gives me extra pastries for free and makes my favorite baked goods is gonna have a place in my heart. 3/5 stars
Book 5 – With Any Luck by Ashley Poston I quite enjoyed this story, but it’s funny, I feel like this one would be much better as a full-length novel. I feel like the story can definitely be expanded on. I loved the characters and I love the idea of Audrey being the kiss that helps other people find their true love. I want more! 4/5 stars.
Book 6 – Royal Valentine by Sariah Wilson This was probably the most improbable one for me, but hey, it’s sweet, and it’s cheesy, and I enjoyed seeing them fall for each other. 3/5 stars.
My Rating
I’ve given each story their individual rating, but collectively, I’d give them a rating of 4/5 stars. It’s just fun!
Have you read these books? Would you read these books? Did you like them or do you think you would like them?
In this spirited sequel, The Rook returns to clinch an alliance between deadly rivals and avert epic—and slimy—supernatural war.
When secret organizations are forced to merge after years of enmity and bloodshed, only one person has the fearsome powers—and the bureaucratic finesse—to get the job done. Facing her greatest challenge yet, Rook Myfanwy Thomas must broker a deal between two bitter adversaries:
The Checquy—the centuries-old covert British organization that protects society from supernatural threats, and… The Grafters—a centuries-old supernatural threat.
But as bizarre attacks sweep London, threatening to sabotage negotiations, old hatreds flare. Surrounded by spies, only the Rook and two women, who absolutely hate each other, can seek out the culprits before they trigger a devastating otherworldly war.
STILETTO is a novel of preternatural diplomacy, paranoia, and snide remarks.
“Plus, anyone who wants to clone himself is usually an asshole. You don’t want any more of those running around than absolutely necessary.”
“You’re a tool, to be used and directed for the good of the people. Sometimes you’ll be a scalpel, cutting out disease. Sometimes you’ll be a sword, and you’ll take on threats with all the strength you can muster. And sometimes, Odette, you’ll be a stiletto, a hidden weapon that slides quietly into the heart.”
“I’ll tell you what, if, after fifteen years, you still think you hate her, we’ll do something about it.”
“We’ve had plenty of skeletons in our closets,” continued Thomas. “Hell, one of our Rooks was a skeleton. And he was in the closet as well, come to think of it.”
The Narrator
Moira Quirk. I liked this narrator more than the first, but the editing left a lot of empty space between chapters, which confused me a bit.
The Characters
Myfanwy Thomas is still one of the characters in this book, but she’s not as prominent. It seems like she’s more of a background character, with a few chapters that highlight her POV. I still love her, and I love seeing her when she appears in the book, but there are two other main characters in this book.
Odette, a member of the Grafters – a rival organization to the Checquy that’s been at war with them for centuries with a lot of bad blood between them. And Felicity, a pawn in the Checquy, who’s been tasked with being a guard/protector to Odette.
The Grafters and the Checquy were enemies, but Myfanwy is now trying to broker an alliance between the two organizations, and Odette and Felicity have to work together.
My Thoughts
I wish there was more of Myfanwy’s presence in this book, but I do love Odette and Felicity, and I find them both fascinating in each of their very unique ways. I enjoyed the history lessons about the two organizations and the bad blood between them, it wasn’t tedious for me at all. I also loved the background stories of both Odette and Felicity, and how they got to where they are. I loved how they each had their moments of shining with their very interesting talents and abilities.
Spoiler
I couldn’t believe it when Rook Gestalt was revealed to still be in play! It complicates the plot for sure, and makes the story a lot more interesting! I’m also really looking forward to see what happens in the third book, because I’m sure with Gestalt in play, it’s going to be dangerous for Myfanwy and the Checquy. Gestalt is one of the most interesting characters I’ve come across, so I really want to see what happens with the kind of ability they have.
My Feels
It’s complicated. I feel really impressed with the way each of the relationships are presented here. Between Odette and her former crew, between Felicity and her former crew, between Odette and her ancestors/the higher-ups in the Grafters, between Felicity and Odette. There are so many interlacing relationships and trust circles here, and I loved observing all of them and watching them evolve.
My Rating
5/5 stars. Different from the first book, but just as good in its own way!
Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
A curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town in the far north to study faerie folklore and discovers dark fae magic, friendship, and love in the start of a heartwarming and enchanting new fantasy series.
Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world’s first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party–or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, and the Fair Folk.
So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily’s research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.
But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones–the most elusive of all faeries–lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she’ll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all–her own heart.
I love fairy tales. I love tales about faeries, and changelings, and magic, and folklore, and I love the whole idea of this book! I’ve been seeing this book everywhere, and of course, I couldn’t resist! It’s like I’ve been enchanted!
The Quotes
“Perhaps it is always restful to be around someone who does not expect anything from you beyond what is in your nature.”
“One doesn’t need magic if one knows enough stories.”
“There was something about the stories bound between those covers, and the myriad species of Folk weaving in and out of them, each one a mystery begging to be solved. I suppose most children fall in love with faeries at some point, but my fascination was never about magic or the granting of wishes. The Folk were of another world, with its own rules and customs—and to a child who always felt ill-suited to her own world, the lure was irresistible.”
The Characters
I love Emily Wilde! I love Wendell! I love Shadow! I love Poe! I love Thora! I love Aud! Omg, I love them all!
I relate so much to Emily. I found it painful and funny how awkward she was around people and yet, she was so amazing at her job, so resourceful and smart! To be clear, I relate to the awkward part, not the smart part, I’m not an intellectual and I probably couldn’t write a faerie encyclopaedia. I also relate to how practical she was, not really caring about her clothes looking good or her cottage feeling homey. It always seems to be the woman’s job to make the house homey and to look good, but I love that Wendell is the homebody in this book!
I love seeing Wendell through Emily’s eyes, I think I fell more in love with him because of her practical and objective descriptions. In fact, I loved seeing all the other characters from her eyes. There’s something about the way she writes that’s so matter-of-fact, and yet, you feel the feels she tries to downplay.
My Thoughts
What an adventure! I loved discovering this magical world of Emily Wilde’s, where faeries and faerie folklore are studied and discussed in academic circles. I loved learning about this world through Emily’s notebook. It was so interesting to be introduced to the different faerie folk, to see Emily’s interactions with each of them, to see her embroiled in certain situations in regards to them, and how she finds solutions to any issue she comes across. It is hard not to fall in love with her, even though she tries to be unlikable!
My Feels
Two words; found family. I am a sucker for it. I loved how she started out practically ostracized, and ended up with a whole community of people who loves her as family. I get choked up just thinking about it and how it all came about.
My Rating
5/5 stars. I’m a character driven reader, and this book has the best characters all around. I need to see more of them!
Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?
This beloved story -first published more than fifty years ago- introduces readers to Milo and his adventures in the Lands Beyond.
For Milo, everything’s a bore. When a tollbooth mysteriously appears in his room, he drives through only because he’s got nothing better to do. But on the other side, things seem different. Milo visits the Island of Conclusions (you get there by jumping), learns about time from a ticking watchdog named Tock, and even embarks on a quest to rescue Rhyme and Reason! Somewhere along the way, Milo realizes something astonishing. Life is far from dull. In fact, it’s exciting beyond his wildest dreams. . . .
Lydia says, “The Phantom Tollbooth was excellent.”
Sarah @ Exploring All Genres says, “The Phantom Tollbooth is one of my favorite books from when I was younger. I still have a well-loved copy on my shelf.”
Nicole @ NewBookCatsReads says, “I read the Phantom Tollbooth when I was fifth grade! What a fascinating read!”
Felice says, “The Phantom Tollbooth was one of my favorite books I read as a kid! I hope whenever you get to it, you enjoy it!”
Cindy @ Cindy’s Book Corner says, “I HIGHLY recommend listening to The Phantom Tollbooth on audio. It was fantastic. My husband read the book and didn’t see why me and my kids thought it was so good…until he listened to it as well. He didn’t catch some of the humor. It’s also not a genre I would normally pick and only listened to it because of my kids. I have lost count how many times we have listened to it on road trips.”
So I listened! Thank you all for the enthusiasm for this wonderful book! There were so many endorsements, and I hope I didn’t miss anyone, but it definitely put The Phantom Tollbooth at the top of my list. I listened to it on audiobook because of Cindy’s endorsement, but I also flipped through my physical copy while listening, so I could look at the illustrations as I go.
The Quotes
“So many things are possible just as long as you don’t know they’re impossible.”
“Expect everything, I always say, and the unexpected never happens.”
“The most important reason for going from one place to another is to see what’s in between, and they took great pleasure in doing just that.”
“You must never feel badly about making mistakes … as long as you take the trouble to learn from them. For you often learn more by being wrong for the right reasons than you do by being right for the wrong reasons.”
The Narrator(s)
Rainn Wilson, and a special appearance from Walter Wilson (his son) as the voice of .58! I loved it. Rainn Wilson is a wonderful narrator and I loved that Walter Wilson made an appearance too. It was just perfect the whole way through.
The Characters
There are so many interesting characters in this book with such distinctive personalities. I loved them all! Milo is the main character, however, and we see things through his perspective.
My Thoughts
I cannot believe this is the first time I’ve ever read this book! Where has it been my whole life? I don’t know how I would’ve felt as a child reading this, but as an adult, it was just delightful and it brings me back to innocent days of childlike wonder and imagination. There was a lot of simple wisdom in this book, and it reminds me that we are never too old for magic.
My Feels
It makes me feel young again! It makes me feel like nothing is impossible, and that the world is filled with infinite possibilities. It makes me feel like I am one of those infinite possibilities. I love it!
My Rating
5/5 stars. Is this book the secret to the fountain of youth?
Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?
Thornhedge is the tale of a kind-hearted, toad-shaped heroine, a gentle knight, and a mission gone completely sideways.
There’s a princess trapped in a tower. This isn’t her story.
Meet Toadling. On the day of her birth, she was stolen from her family by the fairies, but she grew up safe and loved in the warm waters of faerieland. Once an adult though, the fae ask a favor of Toadling: return to the human world and offer a blessing of protection to a newborn child. Simple, right?
But nothing with fairies is ever simple.
Centuries later, a knight approaches a towering wall of brambles, where the thorns are as thick as your arm and as sharp as swords. He’s heard there’s a curse here that needs breaking, but it’s a curse Toadling will do anything to uphold…
I am a huge fan of T. Kingfisher. So much so that I didn’t actually know what this book was about before going into it, only that I wanted to read it because it’s by T. Kingfisher. I guessed that it might have been Sleeping Beauty-related because of the title, but I didn’t know for sure until I started reading it.
The Quotes
“Learn what you can. Use what you learn. You have not failed yet.”
“Greenteeth did not slap one another—not out of any virtue, but because a slap was such a useless thing underwater. When greenteeth brawled, it was with teeth and strangling fingers, spines and claws.”
“It never occurred to her to doubt her welcome. Such was the gift of a child raised with love.”
“No. I have many mothers. If I am hideous, then we are hideous together. And that made it easier, because in her heart of hearts, she could not believe that her mothers were anything but beautiful.”
The Characters
Toadling – the main character. She is such an interesting character, even in a story as short as this, we learn so much about her. She was stolen by the fairies, lost her birthright and family of origin, and yet the family she found was loving and perhaps gave her a better life than she could’ve had. She is dutiful, a people pleaser, a little too harsh on herself, but she is also resourceful and steadfast.
Halim – the unremarkable knight. He’s not anything special. He is not handsome or renowned, he doesn’t have many conquests to his name. He’s not exceptionally brave or ambitious. I think his best quality is his curiosity and openness.
The princess – the sleeping beauty. The changeling. I think the quote below just about sums her up.
“The only curse is that she is a changeling. And she will be as cruel as she can, because that is the nature of changelings. Good spirits do not steal away babies to take their place. It is only the wicked that are sent to make mischief. And only the dutiful that are sent to try and stop them.”
My Thoughts
I’m a huge fan of fairy-tale retellings, and I’ve probably read a dozen retellings of the Sleeping Beauty story. I never get tired of them because there are always new perspectives, and even the “original” fairy-tales have so many different variations, and I love discovering them all. I love stories that flip the good guys and the bad guys because I’ve always believed that it depends on who’s telling the story, and we are always the good guys in our own stories. However, while this story is based off the Sleeping Beauty story, most of its charm comes from the “side stories”, the ones about Toadling growing up with the greenteeth, Toadling’s and Halim’s “meet-cute” and their conversations that help us get to know them, even the little snippets about how the world outside has changed, while the world inside the thornhedge makes its own little changes.
My Feels
I love how this story transports me to a different world. T. Kingfisher’s books has a way of doing that to me. It feels like a weird but pleasant dream, and I love that vibe for this book.
My Rating
4/5 stars. I loved it, but it’s not my favorite out of all her books (and she’s got so many amazing ones!).
Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?
